Operation 25.5: Satisfying My Sweet Tooth

I’m not going to lie, trying to get myself on the track to wellness is tough. Especially when it comes to satisfying my sweet tooth. I love sugar, some would say my love for sugar is why I am where I am. So, needless to say, getting rid of this sugar addiction is a major part of my daily path to loosing weight, being healthy and feeling better.

The plus of breaking away from sugar is that I am experimenting in the kitchen much more than I have since munchkin was born. My first task is a mission to find a nighttime sweet snack that works with my new way of eating, which inevitably includes fruit, dairy and nuts (e.g. a fat serving). (This combination is a must when eating the little bit of natural sugar I am allowed, the combo of a fruit, fat and protein help with proper digestion of the natural sugars in fruit.)

So, alas, after experimenting with some failed concepts it seems I have found one that works – roasted peaches with vanilla yogurt and roasted almonds. NOTE: It does involve one special ingredient – Vanilla Stevia Drops – you can find these at Whole Foods Market or simply substitute a sprinkling of Stevia in the Raw, which is sold in most grocery stories, and a few drops of pure vanilla extract.

Roasted Peaches, with Almonds and Vanilla Yogurt

(serves 1, just multiply each ingredient by the number of people you want to serve)

1 Peach, cut in half & seed removed

1/4 C Lowfat Greek Yogurt

2 T Raw Slivered Almonds (or about 8 almonds chopped up)

Vanilla Stevia Drops

1/8 t Cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 Lemon

Place the peach in a shallow pan, cut side up, squeeze the lemon over the peach, sprinkle with cinnamon and fill the pan with water coming about 1 cm up the side of the peach. Bake on 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

While the peach is baking:

Mix the yogurt with 1/8 t of cinnamon and 4-5 Vanilla Stevia drops (if you are not on a diet, go ahead and use some vanilla ice cream here).

Roast the almonds on the stove — place them in a dry pan over low heat until you smell them and they are a little brown. Stop there immediately because a “little brown” can turn to a “a lot brown” quickly.

When the peaches are done, look for them to be cooked through, place them on a small plate or wide pasta bowl. Spoon the yogurt on top, sprinkle with the almonds and more cinnamon if you’d like. And … enjoy!

(If you make this dessert, please come back and let me know what you think).

Julia Montgomery Stewart

Nicknamed “Julia Child” at a young age, our own Julia is most at home in the kitchen. Lately, she has combined her culinary talents with a new hobby—fitness and healthy living. As a result, her recipes reflect an intriguing balance between eating well without sacrificing flavor. Outside the home, Julia is a consummate event planner, and spent the first ten years of her career as a publicist before expanding her portfolio of talents with the launch of Live Pretty in 2010. Balancing the busy demands of career and family, Julia lives with her husband and daughter in Orlando, Florida. In addition to her work in marketing, she serves a number of community organizations and initiatives in Central Florida.